Touch can comfort and heal, but also harm − a psychologist explains why gestures don’t always land as intended

The most comforting touch communicates care for the person receiving it – not just the intentions of the person offering it.

Brian N. Chin, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Trinity College • conversation
May 16, 2025 ~8 min

Watch: Prosthetic robot hand ‘knows’ what it’s touching

A new prosthetic hand carefully conforms and adjusts its grasp to avoid damaging or mishandling whatever it holds.

Roberto Molar Candanosa-Johns Hopkins • futurity
March 6, 2025 ~7 min


First week of life is key for senses of smell and touch

Research in mice "demonstrates that early-life exposure to odor is essential for touch development and maturation."

U. Zurich • futurity
June 17, 2024 ~6 min

Stretchy ‘skin’ could give robots sensitivity of human touch

A stretchy e-skin that gives robots the sensitivity of human skin could pave way for robots that are used in medical care and disaster relief.

Nat Levy-UT Austin • futurity
May 3, 2024 ~5 min

Touch boosts babies’ self-recognitition

Touch helps babies and toddlers learn self-awareness. The discovery could lead to interventions for kids with motor development delays.

Esther Robards-Forbes - UT Austin • futurity
March 14, 2024 ~5 min

Why touch is important for relationships

An expert breaks down why affectionate touch can be so beneficial in a relationship, whether it's romantic or not.

Kelly Homan Rodoski - Syracuse U. • futurity
Feb. 14, 2024 ~6 min

New wearable device uses touch to tell you where to go

A new wearable device uses touch to direct the wearer. It could help in navigation or be useful for people with vision or hearing problems.

Silvia Cernea Clark-Rice • futurity
Aug. 30, 2023 ~8 min

Plants can feel when touch begins and ends

Even without nerves, plants can sense when something touches them and when it lets go, according to new research.

Sara Zaske-Washington State • futurity
June 1, 2023 ~5 min


The magic of touch: how deafblind people taught us to 'see' the world differently during COVID

A cultural collaboration with deafblind people led to the development of a high-tech device to help navigate their world post-lockdown

Azadeh Emadi, Lecturer in Screen Production, School of Culture & Creative Arts, University of Glasgow • conversation
Oct. 10, 2022 ~21 min

The tongue: how one of the body's most sensitive organs is helping blind people 'see'

A device could be use to transmit a camera’s video feed into moving patterns of electrical stimulation on the surface of the tongue.

Mike Richardson, Research Associate in Psychology, University of Bath • conversation
Aug. 1, 2022 ~7 min

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